


Go Back From Whence You Came

by swells55



Category: Juliantina - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Juliantina, Medieval AU, Princess AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-10-25 11:23:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17724254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swells55/pseuds/swells55
Summary: A medieval AU where Juliana cross dresses as a man to gain work the kingdom of Mexico that is currently ruled by the Carvajals. Inspired by Pushing Daisies.





	1. Prologue

The facts were these.

Juliana Valdez was an unfortunate daughter of circumstance.

At one point, her family was consider one of the most prosperous of all the kingdom, and people far and wide knew of the noble Valdez clan in the medieval lands of Mexico. They were only third in line for the throne and were responsible for the annual lottery. At the time, buying a lottery ticket was part of the royal tradition, which decreed that testing your luck was almost mandatory as a way to jumpstart the year with good superstition.

However, this all changed with the birth of one son: Macario.

He was an egoistic boy, spoiled and coddled by all since his mother, Ramona, was unable to have any more children. His father, Reynaldo, had such high hopes for Macario, and had went to a fortune teller to ask of what lie ahead in his future.

“Honour can only be restored  
by a passion ne’er seen before   
hardships through must slip and bend  
with the true love of a friend.”

This prophecy made no sense. Dishonour? Restored? Would Macario be the cause of it? Outraged he lashed out the fortune teller and stormed off. He refused to believe it. He wouldn’t think of the prophecy until when Macario’s 18th birthday.

Macario grew into a rather unpleasant man; manipulative and selfish. He was an expert in archery and would pass the time forcing his servants to put apples on their heads. His only joy seemed to be hitting the target. He didn’t care for his family legacy and took for granted the extreme wealth that it meant. He wanted to be a free agent- not another lottery mogul, forced the act the part of a more refined kind of man. He wanted to get out. Determined to rebel against his father’s wishes, his constant misbehaviour had almost warranted exile from the kingdom many times, but he was always let off due to his father’s connection with the king.

One day, getting drunk at the bar, he noticed two men talking about bounty hunting, and something in his head clicked.

“2000 gold pieces. Straight to the head. Bam.”

That was it. That’s what he could do. And he would do it well. He’d have more money in no time; he wouldn’t have to do anything for his family. He would be free man.

* * *

 

Over time, Macario (aka El Chino) became a respected hitman in all the criminal circles. At the age of 20, he left home and never returned. Reynaldo, distraught that his only son betrayed him, found himself next in line for the throne after the king died. Yet, with no heir, he could only pass on to the next noble bloodline. Macario didn’t even know he was now a prince- not that he cared. In his mind, he was a god of death- El Chino - who had a life bountiful in lust and luxury. He left some children in his wake, but there was only one lady who he ever cared about for longer than a week: Lupe. And Lupe had a daughter, whose name was Juliana. They met in the outskirts of Texas, where Macario would visit periodically for jobs. One might say that he loved Lupe, but not nearly enough to sacrifice anything for her. Lupe, who was completely in love with Macario, would make efforts to find Macario if he was away for more than months at a time, and a baby Juliana didn’t stop her. Juliana’s whole world was her mother, and her mother’s whole world was this scary and ominous man who showed up once and a while. This man was supposed to be her father, but she felt no care or comfort. He had eyes that were empty and dark- the eyes of a killer.

Then the day came when El Chino was caught. Sentenced. Condemned to hang. The greatest hitman in all the land was going to be executed. Lupe cried for days. She forbade Juliana to go watch. Lupe left her at home while she went to witness his death. Juliana, who was now 20, was horrified but unsurprised to learn of who el Chino really was. She felt guilty for being secretly happy, glad that their lives didn’t have to be tied to him anymore. The only thing that she would have to remember him by was a music box. It played a melancholic tune, and had a very intricate crest engraved to it. Juliana used to daydream about what it might mean but she learned to move on from childish fantasies. But as her father was being executed, she pulled it out and was reminded of the mystery. There was an R.V. engraved on it. Who was R.V?

_El Chino? Macario Valdez? Valdez!_

This might have belonged to his family. _Her family_. There was something inside her heart that told her this meant something big. She needed to figure out who Macario Valdez was, and they were about to kill him. Lupe was the middle daughter of a long line of innkeepers, and left her village after her first boyfriend had promised that they would elope- but after she refused to put-out until after marriage, he left her stranded, far from home, with nothing but a few gold coins and a rucksack. She rebuilt her life from the ground up, too prideful to return and seek her family. Plus, she had met Macario at the time, and since then, her life had been following him around. What would she do if El Chino was gone? Juliana packed her bags and ran to the execution site. A large crowd of people gathered to witness the event, with Lupe standing right in the front. Macario, dressed in rags, glued his eyes to the floor, keeping them deliberately away from Lupe’s tearful gaze. She seized the opportunity.

“Who is R.V.?” She yelled over the quiet and scandalous whispers of the audience. Macario seemed to wake from a trance as he looked at Juliana. His daughter. The only child of his he actually knew the name of.

His last words were a clue.

“Reynaldo.” And then he was hanging from the noose, lifeless. Juliana turned her head away, unable to stomach the sight.

Reynaldo Valdez? Who was he? Her mother once said that Macario was from far away in the south. Somewhere that started with an M. Maybe that’s where she needed to go. And go she would.

 

* * *

 

After his death, Lupe was inconsolable. She wept for days and days. Juliana felt powerless to help, and was unable to sympathise because she never understood why Lupe loved a man like Macario in the first place. He was handsome, she supposed, and had a charming air about him. But other than that, she felt that he had not treated his mother with compassion and love. But she had never been in love, so how could she know? One thing was for sure; if that’s what love did to a person, she didn’t want it.

About a week after the execution, there came a knock on the door late at night.

“Hey, get out here!” A gruff voice said.

Juliana cautiously opened the door.

“What do you want?”

The man bust open the door. Next to him, gagged and hands tied behind his back, was none other than El Chino Valdez. He was covered in dirt and his eyes were bloodshot. 

“What th-“ Before Juliana had a chance to react, the man pushed him to his knees roughly.

“Look here, I don’t know what the fuck happened, or how the fuck it happened, but you better take this scoundrel with you get the hell out of here and never speak of this again. This is some pure witchcraft and if anyone finds out you all will be sentenced to death, you understand?”

A withered Lupe had walked out as he was saying it, and fainted at the sight of Macario alive. The man, threw a bag of coins at them.  
  
“Get out of here. Now. Never come back. If I see you in town, I will kill you all.” And then he vanished.

Juliana looked at her father apprehensively. She took out the cloth that was shoved in his mouth.

“Thank god. Thank you so much! Who are you? Where am I?”

“Chino…what are you talking about? I’m Juliana…your daughter?” Her father seemed confused and panicked. Juliana had never seen him like that.

“My daughter? You’re not my daughter. Why is everyone calling me El Chino?”

“You’re Macario Valdez? My father? You’re in Texas.”

“Texas? How is that possible? A second ago, I was about to get married in Mexico.” He said it with disbelief. _What was going on?_

 _Mexico!_ That’s where it was. That’s the place that Lupe had mentioned once. El Chino had obviously lost his mind, and Juliana didn’t know what to do about it.

“Can you get these ropes off me please?” He asked so politely that Juliana could almost believe that he wasn’t El Chino. Her father never so much as looked at her when she was around.

“Thanks.”

“Listen Chino. I think you need help, but what we have to do first is get out of here…you heard him. He’s going to kill us if we stay.”

“Just give me a moment. Let me just change. “ 

Juliana started packing all that they owned into a large rucksack. She heard a scream from the back.

“This is not my body. This is not my face. What the …” He held his face and started pacing.

“I need to get out of here.” He ran out the door.

“Wait!” 

After Lupe came to, she fired so many questions at her daughter. _What happened? Was that your father? Is he alive? Where did he go? Who was that man?_

Nothing that she could answer. Lupe became obsessed with trying to find him. Juliana suggested they go to the south.

“Maybe he went back to where he came from? He said something about Mexico.” Both of them, still stunned by El Chino’s resurrection, silently packed their house away and wrote some letters to sever whatever tied them to this village. By the morning, Lupe and Juliana had their whole life on a horse carriage, ready to go. Destination: Mexico.


	2. Julian

Juliana and Lupe arrived in Mexico after several weeks. Upon arrival, Lupe immediately looked for work in the nearest pub. Lupe was a beautiful lady, and it wasn’t hard for her to find job as a barmaiden. After all, she had done it for the past 10 years. She told Juliana that they needed to earn some money before they could do anything, and Juliana agreed. But she didn’t want any of the jobs offered to women. She knew for a fact that they were paid less and were treated poorer. She had eavedropped on enough conversations at the pub to know that life was far better for a man. Thankfully, she took all of El Chino’s old clothes, which were oversized enough to hide any womanly aspect of her body.She stuffed her hair into a hat and called herself “Julian”. Looking in the mirror, she thought she looked pretty slick. “Julian” went to work.

She quickly found that the kingdom of Mexico was much nicer than Texas. She had been told by locals that the king had passed away recently. Apparently, King Leon Carvajal was assassinated, and left behind a widow and three children. They were a powerful family who owned all the lumberyards in the area. It made sense. Carvajal meant “oak” in some dead language. At least, that’s what the tailor was telling her. She had stopped by to ask if he needed any apprentices.

The one thing that Juliana really wanted to do was make clothes. She wanted to become a famous seamstress that catered to all the princesses and princes. But all she had ever made were her own dresses, which were usually composed of salvaged fabric from the streets. When she was little, she used to steal handkerchiefs and sew them together to make shirts and scarves.

“Well Julian, I certainly could use some help…but at the moment I can’t really afford to pay you anything other than with skills and fabric.”

“That’s fine! I can work two jobs.”

“Excellent! I can also maybe help you with that other job. Say, do you have any experience in selling lottery tickets?”

 

So Juliana was on her first shift, selling lottery tickets in the main market plaza. She grew extremely bored after the first few hours and decided to use the time to wander about and explore the nooks and crannies of the city. In a dark alley, she heard a sob. As she followed the noise, she heard some yelling- a man’s voice, and more crying. A girl’s voice. Juliana heard footsteps coming her way and she immediately ducked behind some barrels. A gopher looking man who must’ve been around her age stomped angrily away from the sobbing girl. She approached her slowly.

“Hey…are you okay?”

“Um…yeah. No. I’m fine. I just need to be alone.”

“Well…is there anything I can do for you?”

“Look get lost. I don’t need another man in my face telling me I’m being crazy.”

“You’re right. It’s none of my business. I’ll go now.” Juliana was disappointed. This girl, now that she had a proper view of her, was incredibly beautiful. It must’ve been the fancy clothes she was wearing. She was motivated to get to know her, but if she wanted to be left alone, Juliana wouldn’t force it.

“Lucky for you, I’m not.”

“What?” She had stopped trying to avoid Julian’s eye-contact and now looked meticulously at “him”. Juliana decided to be coy and walk away.

“Nothing.”

“Wait. What. Come on. What did you say?”

The girl got up and started to trail Juliana, and when Juliana felt she was close behind she decided to pull a prank.

“Give me all your money!” Juliana pulled the most comical but menacing voice she could muster in a fake men’s voice. The girl burst into laughter.

“Is that the best you got?” Juliana couldn’t keep a straight face. They both burst into giggles. For some reason, Juliana felt like she could trust this girl. Maybe it was the crystal blueness of her eyes, and how the emitted a warmth and kindness that she had never seen in anyone before that. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn’t laughed like that since she was a young girl. But she took off her hat and let her long dark locks fall down her shoulders.

“See look. Not a man. Harmless. I’m Juls.” The girl looked her up and down, impressed and surprised.

“Wao. What a shame.” Juliana looked bewildered.

“Because you made a really pretty boy.” Juliana started to blush. “But- that’s not to say you’re not a pretty girl too!” The girl was starting to blush too, fumbling over her own words.

“Anyways..I’m Valentina. You can call me Val.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Yeah…You too.” They eyes met and both girls felt a familiar sensation. Had they met before? They walked down another dark alley together, Valentina leading the way.

“Why were you crying?”

“Why were you dressed like a boy?”

“You first.” Val took in a deep breath.

“That block of fudge who you probably saw earlier was my boyfriend. He’s such an idiot. He was being insensitive and I got upset.”

“What happened?”

“Um…my father passed away recently. And he was my only parent left, and Lucho was complaining that I was being too depressed.” Juls instinctively touched her on the shoulder to comfort her.

“I’m so sorry to hear that. Ugh, who does that?”

“Exactly!”

“Actually…my father passed away recently too.”

“Really? I guess we have that in common.” Though it was not funny, Val smiled a sad little smile. She looked at Juls trousers. They looked so comfortable.

“So. Why are you dressed as a boy?”   
  
“Ah…well…it’s a man’s world. I wanted to do more. Young girls aren’t allowed to do as much- they can’t even stay out late. I mean, how did you get away with running around the way you are?”

“Let’s just say…I have my ways.”

“Please don’t tell anyone. I just got a position helping the local tailor, and I can’t risk it.”

“You can trust me. I won’t tell a soul. To be honest, it sounds like a lot of fun. And you make clothes?”

“Yeah. I made these myself.” She pulled on her trousers. Upon closer inspection, Valentina saw that they were embellished with floral patterns. They were subtle, but made the trousers look really unique.

“That’s amazing! Can I get a pair?”   
  
“Of course.”

Suddenly, a distant fanfare was playing. Val whipped her head towards the sound.

“Oh no! Hey…sorry. I have to go now. I’ll see you.” Val quickly ran away. Within moments, Val had gone, and Juliana felt dazed. And then, a sense of sadness. _Why was that? Where did she go? Would I ever see her again?_

 _Valentina._ She thought to herself.

_What a beautiful person._

 


	3. Pockets Are Life Changing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juls discovers who Valentina really is.

Juliana was working everyday, selling lottery tickets at any spare moment that Señor Pedro didn’t have her run errands all over the city for garments. In just a few weeks, she knew the city streets like the back of her hand. The pursuit of her ancestry was put on temporary hold because she was still trying to figure out where they were going to live. They had only recently found a cute little cottage to share with a nice carpenter named Pancho after living in a dingy inn for a few weeks. Everything was going swimmingly, and that certain calm after moving from one place to another had begun to set it.

The only problem was that she hadn’t seen Valentina. She found herself going into all the darkest alleys in search of this mysterious girl. She didn’t want to ask around about her since Juls wanted to keep a low profile, so instead resorted to listening very carefully to conversations in the pub while waiting for Lupe to get off work. In town she had heard more about the city andhad learned that the current kingdom had only been in place for more than decade. The previous king was a sad and heirless man whose sole son had abandoned him. His name was so disgraced that everyone merely referred to him as King of Angustia. His legacy was the lottery tickets in the city, which he had left in the care of the counsel who used its profits for charity. It was said that if his son ever came back, the lottery business would be placed back in his care.

_What a disgrace. Who would abandon their own father like that?_

One night, while helping Lupe wash dishes to pass the time, she overheard it. A guard had come into the pub.

“Hey Coco, the princess really wants this kind of vodka. Do you guys have any left?”

“What! The palace kitchen ran out already? We gave them out last shipment just last week.”

“Well Princess Valentina has been drinking it like water since the king died.”

“Poor girl. The king was a good man. Our princess is an orphan…What a tragedy, eh?” The porters muttered about as Juliana realised that the girl she had met must have been none other than the princess of the kingdom. _Unless Valentina was a common name?_

“Hey. What’s the princess look like?” She asked the gruffy barkeep, Caspian, in her best nonchalant voice. 

“Well, she dunnah get out much actually. I only saw ‘er once. It was at the funeral of the king. She had a face like a doe, an angel. And the clearest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.”

 _It had to be her. Who else had eyes like those?_ Caspian saw Julian thinking back. He had a toothy grin.

“Ay boy, don’t be stuck in that reverie too long. Commoners like us could never get ladies like that. We gotta be royalty or somethin’.” 

 _Ha! If only he knew._ On the other hand, he was right. What would Valentina ever want to do with a commoner like her. She could have any company she wanted- there was no telling how many ladies in waiting were probably queuing to spend time with her. That wasn’t her life, and it never would be. But for some reason, she was still spent every night working on a new pair of trousers- ones that matched her own, in a slightly different shade of dark brown, with matching floral prints, with delicate roses embroidered on the front. On the inside she had cross stitched vines to make words. 

“To V From J”. She carried them around wherever she went, secretly hoping to run into her.

 _Just this. It’ll be good. Imagine the look on her face. I’ll just give them to her and never think about her again._ She had endless fun imagining her face when Val got them. It was always nice to give gifts. She just never really had the chance to give them to anyone other than her mother. 

And so, the day finally came. Juliana was selling tickets at her usual spot when she heard a hissing noise.

“Pssssssss. Come here.” 

Bewildered, she turned around and saw Valentina right behind her. She almost screamed but Val put her hand over mouth and put a finger to her lips.

“Cálmate. Shhh. Come with me,” she said soundlessly. Val dragged her into another dark alley (that seemed to appear out of nowhere) that lead to a wooden door and opened it with a secret switch.

After a blind fumble in the darkness, Juliana found herself with the princess of the kingdom in a large room. It was the thing of her old fantasies. There were numerous tables and massive shelves that held a vast array of different coloured yarns, fabrics, and thread. She nearly forgot about the girl who brought her there, marvelling at the sheer sight of all the kinds of fabric.

“What is this place?”

“It’s a fabric storage warehouse. I thought you might like it.”

“Me? Bu-“

“I’ve been watching you. How you look at clothes…with such delicate care. You’re going to need to really work on how you walk and talk if you’re gonna keep up the boy thing. ”

“So, you’ve been watching me?” Juliana was thankful it was dark, otherwise the princess would see how she had turned beet red.

“You’re the most interesting person I’ve met in a really long time. Of course I had to keep an eye out for you.” Val was walking around the room, looking for a candleholder. She’s obviously spent quite a lot of time here.

“You too. I mean, you are for me. Um...I’d been trying to find you.... your highness.”

Val frowned. “So, you found out?” Juls chuckled.

“Well, is there another girl named Valentina who might have clothes like yours, who’s also known for unique blue eyes?” Val smiled.

“I guess not…but it was so nice while it lasted.” 

“What?”

“Being me. Being treated like just another human being.” She paced around the room, lightly touching everything with her fingertips.

“What do you mean?”

“The palace is an isolating place. Everyone is just ...trying to curry favour with my family and it’s better to be alone sometimes. But it gets so lonely. I’d rather run around the streets and watch strangers than talk to sycophants who are always trying to use me. You didn’t even know who I was, and you wanted to help me.” She caught herself rambling.

“Sorry. I’m talking too much. Let’s sit.” She gestured to a long armchair.

“I could use a friend in the city. From the sound of it, you could too.” Juls put her hand on Val’s back. Val, in turn, hung her arm on Jul’s shoulder.

“So, how’s ol’ Pedrito?” 

“You know him? “

“But of course! He’s a sweet man.”

“Yeah, he is. How do you know him?” 

“Oh, I mean. I don’t. But I like to watchhim cut random bits and bobs to see how he transforms them into gowns. It’s like magic. He’s always very kind to his customers. There have been many times I’ve seen him give away his old garments to the cold and poor.”

“Ha, no wonder he doesn’t have any money to pay me. But I don’t mind. I’m learning a lot.”

“Lately he’s hired a new apprentice, you know.” Juls rolled her eyes. 

“Oh yeah? Really. What’s he like?” Juliana played along. She wanted to see where she was going with this.

“I have to say, he has a pretty short temper. Every time he can’t find his scissors, he throws a little tantrum and then hits the table and gets frustrated with the sewing machine. 

“Why yo- oh god. Please tell me you haven’t been- you have been watching!“

“You’re so serious when you tailor. It’s pretty adorable. There’s such passion in your movement. I can see it.” Val imitated these movements. She was pretty good. Then Val rested her head on Juls’ shoulder. She started to feel very warm. _What was going on?_

“Sigh…I wish I had a passion.”

“Isn’t there anything you like to do? 

“I like to read. I like to write. I feel like I’ve read the whole library, both in the palace and in the old university. I even started my own novel once, but I got bored of my own characters. But nothing has ever really stuck. I’ve tried sword fighting, horseback riding, cooking, baking, alchemy...even collecting stamps. Which is, I have to say, the most dull activity there ever was. I do like to sing, but I’ve never been inspired to write songs.” 

“Not even about your that boy you’re with?”

“ _Him?_ Heavens, no. I don’t even want to think about him. I really don’t know why I bother, to be honest. It’d be easier to write a song about you.” Juliana’s face felt sore. She had never smiled this much, and never ear to ear.

The both of them talked as much as they laughed, nonstop for hours. Juliana learned that the only song sheknew, and therefore was her favourite, was actually written by Valentina’s favourite composer, Carlos Rivera. Valentina had an amazing voice. She sung Juliana some of her favourite tunes, which echoed fantastically in the natural acoustic of the cellar. Juls envisioned that an angel was giving her a private recital.

“Val. That was incredible. I’ve never heard anyone sing like that.” Val looked suddenly bashful.

“I guess I’ve never really sung for anyone before. Not since I was really little.”

“Never stop singing please. That was a gift. Oh! That reminds me. I want to give you something."  Juls reached into her satchel to pull out a package.

“For you.” Val raised her eyebrows.

“For me?” Juls nodded. Val, never taking her eyes off Juliana, slowly opened the wrappings to find a brand new pair of trousers.

 “I know you’re a little taller than me, so I hope they fit. Try them on! I can fix them if they’re too short.” Taken aback by this random act of kindness, she put them on, slipping them under her dress. They could barely be seen underneath the handful of dress. 

“They are _so_ comfortable. And there’s pockets!”

“Are they too big?”

“They’re perfect.” Val started running around the room.

“I can’t- This is- This is changing my life. Juls. It is taking my breath away.” Val zoomed around the room like a child, barefoot on the marble floors, filling the room with laughter. She ran towards Juls to give her a hug. After catching her breath, she looked at Juls, almost teary eyed. 

“This is the nicest present that anyone has ever given me.”

“Really?”

“Well, the nicest gift that someone actually made themselves, has ever given me.”

“I’m so happy you like them.” Val ran her hands down the embroidered roses.

“These details- they’re wonderful. I can’t believe you actually remembered. I _have_ to give you something.”

“No, that’s not how gift-giving works, Val! You don’t have to give me anything just because I give you something. That defeats the point.”

“Ah, but I want to give it to you. So take your own advice.” Val took off once of her necklaces. It was a silver chain that had a horseshoe shaped charm on it.

  
“I can’t take this.” 

“You can and you will.”

“Thank you.” 

Juliana wished she could stay in that room forever with Valentina, but realised quickly that she had to go back to work, panicking about not having sold enough tickets.

“I'm sorry Val, but I need to go.”

“No…why?”  
“I need to work.” 

“Now?”

“I’m selling lottery tickets and I have to meet a quota each day.”

“How many do you have left?” 

“Erm…around 20.” 

“Give them to me.”

“What? No!”

“I’m going to buy one for all my servants. I’ve been meaning to but I’ve put it off for such a long time. Here. Give them to me.” She held out a bag full of coins.

“This should be enough for all of them. It’s that time of year anyways.”

“Val, you really don’t have to-“

“Juliana if I buy them all, are you free to adventure with me?”

“I guess but-“ 

“Julian, my dear gentleman. Would you like to visit the palace with me?”

How could she refuse? How could she possibly refuse the promise of an exciting adventure with a new friend? Juliana wanted nothing more.

Val held out her hand.

“Come on. I’ll show you the way.”


	4. What's in a Wish?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliana and Val make it to the palace. They make an important discovery.

Juliana wasn't scared of the darkness, but being enveloped in pitch black wasn't anyone's comfort zone. That is, except for Valentina. She clung onto Valentina's hand for dear life, unable to even see if the ground she walked on continued. Val had lead her to another secret door into the underground. which had a dank humidity in the air. Where the hell were they going?

"Val- Val. Where are we going? Where are we?" Juliana couldn't help but panic a little. The only thing she could kind of make out with her vision was the vague shape of Valentina walking in front of her. 

_If I die here, at least it was bravely._

"Come on. We need to keep moving. Otherwise, I'll lose my sense of direction."

"How do you know where to go?"

"When I was a kid, I was desperate to leave the castle, but no one allowed me to leave anywhere without escorts and bodyguards. So I tried everything. I stowed away in cargo shipment boxes and horse carriages. Pretended to be someone else's young child who had come to visit. I almost convinced a playmate to switch lives with me for a day but it was no use. My dad was too clever. He would punish me by locking me in my room. At the time, I had a habit of touching everything with my fingertips, and I would walk around the whole castle, touching everything. I'd move my fingers like little legs and run them around the room. I was so silly... One day, I went through all of the wooden carvings on all of the cabinets and in the kitchen, I found out there was a switch to press. The button opened up to these passages. It's taken me years to navigate through them...but now they're like my playground. They go to all sorts of places."

"Where did you find the first time?"

"Hm...The first time? Oh! It was the room were just in."

"Isn't the castle really far though?"

"It's not too bad. But there's a reason why I'm always late."

They walked for another half an hour before Juliana could see a tiny about of light. It was getting larger with every step they took. Valentina signaled for Juls to be quiet, and they started to walk slowly to minimise the sound they made with their shoes. The echos of the chambers made it so that any noise would ring throughout. They came to a door.

"This is the kitchen rest room. It's almost dinner time so all the servants should be out. Be careful." Val whispered. The sounds of movement could be heard through the walls, but when they finally surfaced into what was a poorly lit room filled with beds, Val masterfully dragged Juliana up and through the stairs. Eventually, they must have arrived in what was Valentina's room. It was a grand space decorated with luxury. Her bed was as big as the room Juliana lived in and it was filled with all kinds of toys and instruments. A cello, piano, harp, a huge chest full of plush animals, a bookshelf filled with leather bound books and a desk covered in drawings and scrawling. Valentina plopped onto bed.

“Ahhh, I don’t know why I’m so tired all a sudden.” Juliana felt out of place. She had never seen so many beautiful things in one place. It felt wrong to touch anything, so she just stared, admiring everything- including the princess, who had seemed to decide to take a short nap. Her eyes found the closet, which was stuffed with ornate gowns of all kinds. Juliana couldn’t resist touching them. She had never felt anything so soft.

“You can try them on.” Valentina was suddenly behind her, taking Juliana’s hat with her. Her long dark locks cascaded down. Juliana went to chase her.

“Oh come on! You’re safe here!”

“But what if someone comes in?”

“No one will come in! The only person who can enter is me a-“

A brisk knock sounded on the door.

“Mi niña! It’s time for dinner!”

“Go away, Chivis! I’m busy!” The footsteps faded away, and Valentina turned around to see that Juliana had stuffed herself into the closet. She didn’t do a very good job though, since the doors were half open and heavy breathing could be heard. Valentina burst into giggles.

“Come out, silly. It’s fine. You’re safe.” Upon slowly emerging, Valentina imagined for a moment that they were two lovers caught in the act. They certainly looked the part. Even now, Juliana had stuffed her hair back into the hat and looked like a fine young man. Although, she was a little curvy, but that was only noticeable if one looked very hard- and Valentina had spent a considerable time sizing up her new friend.

“Well, ‘Julian’, don’t worry. Besides, if anyone caught you we can just say you’re my new male suitor.”

“Bu-“

“I’ve been meaning to stop seeing that other boy…I prefer your company over his any day.” Valentina started to pluck out some outfits from her wardrobe.

“Here. Let’s switch. You wear these, and I’ll put on these cool trousers and the shirt you’re wearing. I can be ‘Valentine’ for a few hours, can’t I?” The two started switching outfits, and Valentina and Juliana stood in front of the mirror dumbstruck.  
  
“Whoa. I’ve never really put on a whole disguise like this…but I look pretty good!” Val was trying her best to have gentlemanly movements, and Juliana couldn’t help but laugh. Juls herself looked like a princess for the first time in her life, and she was really enjoying it. Val couldn’t help but compliment her profusely.

“You look wonderful.”

“It’s the dress, not me.”

“Yes. You would make the perfect princess.” Val suddenly curtsied.

“May I have this dance?” Juliana had no idea what dancing they did in the kingdom, but she found herself somewhat graceful, being led effortlessly by Valentina.

“I’ve never done this before. I apologise in advance.” Val twirled her around.

“I know! I can teach you how to dance. In return… I’m sure there’s something you could teach me too.”

“I don’t know how to do any of this.” She was extremely self conscious all a sudden.

“There’s not even music!” Valentina paused for a moment to pull out a massive music box. After winding it up for a good dozen times or so, it set off a waltz kind of tune. Val attempted to slowly guide Juls through the tune, graciously telling her where to step and how to move. Juls felt the sweat on her forehead forming- she knew she probably looked like a fool next to Val.

“It’s important that you look your partner in the eye while you do this.” 

“Okay.” Juls had her eyes glued to the ground, unable to coordinate how her legs would follow Valentina’s feet. It was endearing for Val to see Juls so focused. Gradually, Juls slid her gaze upwards to look into Valentina’s, a pool of light blue. The comfort that came from peering into them made her want to swim inside them. They looked back at her with an ardent focus. It was almost difficult to look to intensely at them, but they were so luscious and pretty that she couldn't look away either. The magical lull seemed to transport them somewhere else. Somewhere far away.

The song ended, and Juls detached from Valentina nervously. The silence broke the trance, and Juls turned away from Valentina.

“I should change back.” Valentina pouted.

“Please. One more song. Then we can do whatever you want.” Juls nodded. Secretly, she was hoping that theymight dance a bit longer.

“Ah! Here’s a song I love, but I have no idea who wrote it.” She pulled out a music box that looked familiar to Juliana. She wound it up, and Juliana let out a gasp.

“This! This is the song!”

“What! You know this song?”

“Yes…let me see that!” Juliana rushed over to Valentina to assess the box. It wasn’t the same as her’s but it had the same style of engravings. She frantically felt the box. There it was. An engraving. M.V. That had to be… _Macario._

“But…how do you know this song?” Juliana contemplated answering the question. She wanted to be honest- she hated lying about anything. But her whole life here was a lie, and yet she found it so easy to tell Val, who accepted it without any doubt nor disapproval. But she herself didn’t even understand what the truth was…but maybe she could use some help finding out.

“I have a music box like this too.” Juliana happened to carry it with her everywhere as a reminder of what she was trying. She pulled it out. The two boxes were the same size and shape, with matching engravings. The crest was exactly the same. The only difference was the colour- Valentina’s was red and Juliana’s was blue. Val looked gobsmacked.

“This…this is a music box left by the previous king.”

“Are you sure?”

“When we moved to the palace…it was already here. In this room. I remember asking my father about it, and he said it belonged to the King of Angustia.”

“What was his name?”

“Mmm. I don’t know. I can ask Chivis later.” Juls got up. This was it. Juliana could put two and two together, and this could only mean that Valentina’s music box must’ve belonged to her father. And it was found here, in the palace. Which meant that the king before the Carvajals…the thought was absurd but made sense all at once. Her grandfather was a king…and that made her father a prince? The daughter of a prince…did that make her a princess? She needed to know.  
“I should probably go then so you ca-“

“Tomorrow! I’ll ask her tomorrow! Please stay.” Val pulled on Juliana’s arm. Juliana, unable to say no to Valentina, sat back down. Lupe was going to be working the late shift anyways, and she wouldn’t even realise Juliana was gone so long as she snuck back before the early morning. She didn’t know how she was going to pull that off, navigating through those secret tunnels or anything, but she would let future Juliana worry about it. Valentina stuffed Juliana back in her closet once more so she could go and ask the servants to bring her a large portion of dinner. They didn’t seem to question it, since Valentina seemed to do this often.

“Another creative frenzy, my lady?”

“Indeed, Sebastian. Let me know when it’s here and leave it at the door. I need absolute solitude and no interruptions please, so if you wouldn’t mind guarding my chambers from the outer bit, I would be so grateful.”

“Yes, my lady.” Minutes later, a knock on the door came. Val came in with a large helping of roast dinner. It was the most delicious thing that Juliana had ever tasted. For the past few weeks, all Juliana was able afford was scraps of game and potatos. Juliana had to learn how to cook, since Lupe was always working, but neither was ever good at making a meal. Luckily, they could also eat from the inn, but they were definitely not famous for their “fine dining”. Juliana was stuffing her face, then felt embarrassed when she noticed Val, watching her in amazement with a smile of endearment. She took a moment to finish her mouthful to say a bashful “sorry”. Valentina poured her a glass of water.

“No! Don’t stop! It’s great. I’m so glad that you like it. It makes me appreciate it more. I am so tired of this food, but I guess seeing someone else enjoy it makes you like it that much more.” Val handed her the serviette to wipe her mouth, which was covered in gravy.

After dinner, the two fell into a food-induced lethargy, lying on bed together side by side. Juls revealed that they had to move because they were being threatened by a band of thieves who were attacking the village they used to live in. The bed was positioned against the window so that you could see the stars from outside the window. Juliana was wearing the 5th dress she tried on, which was her favourite since its’ material was the most soft she had ever felt. Val was still wearing her new trousers, and filled her pockets with miscellaneous things just for the sake of having something in them. Valentina probed Juliana about her love life, and Juliana informed her that she had never been with anyone.

“What! But that can’t be true! You’re so…marvellous. Beautiful.”

“And you? Have you only ever been with this boy?”

“No…I don’t love him or anything, but he’s good company sometimes- when he’s not drunk. Besides, I don’t really believe in love anyways.”  
  
“Why’s that?”

“I’ve just never felt it, the way in which the romance is supposed to feel…like in the books. This undying passion…I’ve been more hurt by my friends and family. Or maybe I’ve just not met the right person. But I’ve not met any boy I respect other than my father and brother.”

“Men…they are rather horrible, aren’t they?”

“What about your father?”

“Um…let’s just say that he was nowhere near as lovely as your father sounded.”

“What do you mean?”  
  
“He was never around. I’m pretty sure I’m not his only child, and I know that my mother wasn’t so special to him. I’d only ever seen him a few times, and the only thing I have of his is that music box.”

“I just can’t believe that they’re the same. You think there are more?”

“Who knows? But my father died before he could tell me anything more.”

“Is it alright if I asked you how he died? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t wa-“

“He was killed by the same band of thieves that were terrorising the village. That’s why we left.”

Though Juliana said it without sounding too sad, Valentina still gave her a comforting hold. Val turned on her side to look at Juliana, whose eyes remained lazily looking at the stars.

“Juls. If you had a wish, what would you wish for?”

“That’s a tough one…I never thought about it.”

“No?”

“No…because people like me, we don’t get wishes. Wishes aren’t real.”

  
“Come on. Just take a moment to believe that wishes could come true- just for a moment. What wouldyou wish for?”

 _I wish that I could find out the truth about my father,_ she wanted to say. But then, she thought something else.

“I wish I could be here. Like this. With you, everyday. This has been one of the best days of my life. Really.”

“This is the best I’ve felt in a really long time too.” Juliana shifted to face Valentina, who was looking at her with such love. They had really only met just a few times, but it was like she had known Valentina for all her life. Suddenly their faces were very close, and both were smiling. Val seemed all a sudden sheepish, but neither backed away.

Juls planted a kiss on Valentina’s forehead, who proceeded to snuggle into Juliana’s chest. Their arms wrapped around each other like tendrils, in a tight embrace. Juliana stroked Valentina’s hair gently, admiring how long and soft it felt. It smelled like roses.

“I’m really happy I met you.”

“Me too.”


	5. Wake Me Up Before You Go, Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Val makes a bold move.

Juliana could hardly remember the last time she had slept so easily. she would have almost forgotten to get up had it not been for the bundle of nerves in her stomach. She woke up to find Valentina sleeping peacefully next to her. Just as the sun was coming up, she couldn’t help but watch for a while. Juliana had never shared a bed with anybody except for her mother, so it was an even stranger sensation to wake up in a place like the palace. She dreaded the walk back home, and momentarily wished that she could relinquish all her commitments to just stay in this bed. Alas, if she was ever going to find out the truth, she had to earn some money in order to stay in town. Juliana _had_ to go back home. Reluctantly, she tried to move out the bed as softly as she could, as not to wake her. Thankfully, one of the things that they talked about before they went to bed was how Juliana was going to get back.

“Look it’s quite simple if you follow the instructions. First you follow the hall when it’s turning right, and you’ll see a yellow chicken sticker…”

Valentina went on to explain the details in which she found out how to navigate through the dark tunnel path step-by-step. It sounded simple in theory, But Juliana anticipated that it was going to be a lot more complicated than that. Lucky for her, she had a good sense of direction and she decided to start early enough that should she get lost she would still have a few hours to spare. Valentina gave her a small lamp and a haphazardly hand-drawn drawn map as well. After hesitantly walking in the dark for about an hour, she managed to retrace whatever steps she remembered taking. Panting heavily, she got home just as her mother burst in through the door. Her mother, blind with exhaustion, went straight into her room without a moments hesitation, and Juliana sat down to process what she had discovered the day before.

_The box. Valentina said it belonged to the old king. That has to be my abuelo. My grandpa. Macario Valdes…were you really a prince? My father? The assassin? Am I…of noble blood?_

She had to find out more...she had to go back to the palace. She had to see Valentina again.

The thought of seeing the princess had made her heart flutter a little. And she knew it had nothing to do with why she had moved to Mexico in the first place. Their faces was so close last night, so close that she almost thought for a moment they would kiss or something. But Juliana had never had those thoughts before...until now. She felt kind of heavy that it didn’t happen. She also felt horrified that she was thinking of kissing the princess of Mexico City. _Way to lay low,_ so she thought. After some more consideration, her attraction to the princess became all the more burdensome.

_What if she had freaked out? I would’ve been locked in jail forever. No. It’s way too risky._

_But what if it wasn’t? What if she felt something too? What if she…_

_No, there was no time to think too much on this. But one thing was sure.She said she would ask Chivis today. Therefore, I have to see her. She’ll show up. I know it._

Maybe Val wanted to see her too. No, maybe she had princess duties. She probably hasn’t even woken up yet. She had left her in bed, sound asleep, deep in slumber. Her hair glistened in the sunlight and Juliana had watched the peaceful rhythm of her chest rise and fall for a little bit before she had left. She felt sad to leave her without saying a proper farewell, but she was sure she didn’t imagine that Val had said her name at some point, as if she was sleep talking a goodbye.

At that very moment, as Juliana set off for work, Valentina woke up, disheartened to find herself alone in bed…as if last night had been a mere dream. But Juliana had left a note:

_Hey Val,_

_Thanks so much for letting me stay. It was the best time...maybe we can meet today if you’re not busy. I’ll be around the market place at noon. Sorry I couldn’t stay for longer, but next time, if there is a next time, I promise we can have breakfast together. Thanks for the map. Maybe you can show me your other favourite spots._

_xx J_

She held the paper to her chest and squealed into her pillow. She knew what she was going to do today. She took The trousers Juls made for her. As she left the palace, she muttered under her breath.

“Get ready world...for Valentine.”


End file.
